International Space Development Conference 1999

The National Space Society’s 18th annual International Space Development Conference Annual was held at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Houston, Texas on May 28-31, 1999. The following is an extract of the conference brochure.

On behalf of the National Space Society (NSS), I’d like to welcome you our 18th annual International Space Development Conference. Members of the Clear Lake Area chapter of NSS, our co-sponsors, and employees of our corporate sponsor, SGI, have put in thousands of hours over the past three years to make your conference experience a memorable one. If you like what you see, please let the ISDC Staff know. We need to hear that all those hours stolen from our families and jobs were worth it! Special thanks are in order to the Radisson’s staff, especially Michele Scrimger.

The proceeds from this conference will be split between NSS and the Clear Lake Area chapter and its fellow non-profit co-sponsors. The Clear Lake Area chapter plans to invest its share in education by sponsoring a Texas high school and/or college team to fly themselves and an experiment on NASA’s KC-135 aircraft. (More information about this program is available on the CD and in the Exhibits room.)

We hope you will take advantage of the opportunities this conference offers to learn how the exploration of space has and continues to inspire many of the world’s best scientists, writers, engineers, artists, actors, musicians, and educators. As they share their work and dreams with you here in Houston, please seriously consider becoming an active participant in the National Space Society. With your help, we will become the first generation to live, work, and play in Space in the Next Millennium.

Ad Astra!

Marianne J. Dyson, Chairperson ISDC ’99

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER / SPACE CENTER HOUSTON TOURS

ISDC has arranged for a special rate of only $8 per adult and $6 per child for entrance to Space Center Houston. These tickets can be used on any day of the conference, Thursday through Monday, but are only good for one day each. Tickets can be purchased at the Information table. The tour of JSC buildings is just one part of the package that includes IMAX movies, a two-story children’s play place (they won’t want to leave), shuttle landing simulators, a chance to touch a real Moon rock, walk through the Skylab mockup, and view exhibits (and the gift shop!). Space Center Houston is open from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

We have vans and busses running back and forth from the hotel to Space Center Houston on Friday and Monday. (JSC employees/contractors can ride the vans to and from the AIAA programs on Friday.) We have arranged for two special tram tours on Friday, and one on Monday — These special trams will stop at Mission Control, which will be closed to the public — but not to you! — because the STS-96 shuttle mission is in orbit. It will also visit the TransHab and X-38 which are not part of the regular tram. The regular tram includes viewing the full-scale space station and shuttle mockups in building 9 and the simulators in building 5. Bring lots of film! You will need to be on the bus at the Radisson 1 hour prior to the tour – i.e. 12:30 PM for the 1:30 PM tour. Bus tickets were sold as part of the registration process. Excess capacity on the bus/van will be available for purchase for $5 per person round trip on a first-come, first-served basis. You may provide your own transportation to Space Center Houston, but you may NOT follow the tram to the buildings. Trams depart from behind the Zero–G diner. Look for the NSS TOUR sign. You must show your ISDC badge to board the special trams.

Friday(8:00 AM) FIRST PICKUP at JSC Thereafter, on the hour(9:30 AM) FIRST BUS FROM RADISSON to SCH Thereafter, every ½ hour(1:30 PM) ISDC SPECIAL TRAM TOUR at SCH(3:00 PM) ISDC SPECIAL TRAM TOUR at SCH(5:30 PM) LAST BUS from RADISSON to JSC(6:00 PM) LAST BUS from SCH to RADISSONMonday(9:30 AM) FIRST BUS RADISSON to SCH Thereafter, every hour on the ½ hour(2:00 PM) ISDC SPECIAL TRAM TOUR at SCH(4:30 PM) LAST BUS leaves SCH for RADISSON

Bus schedule subject to change – see the ISDC registration table

SPECIAL ROCK HOUNDS CLASS: On Friday, 9 to 11 AM, the ISDC is offering a fascinating and educational class about Moon rocks and asteroids. This class is not just for teachers! But, if you are a teacher, you will leave it certified to have Moon rocks come to your school.

The children are our future, and our future is in space, so the ISDC is pleased to have Michael and Rozalyn Mansfield, parents of an extremely gifted child they are home-schooling, offer activities which will prepare our children for the next millennium. To protect our precious young space colonists, parents are required to sign their children in and out of the children’s programming rooms. The rooms have bathroom facilities and water, so that children will not have to leave during the activities. Michael and Rozalyn welcome and encourage parents/grandparents to share in the activities with the children (admit it, you always wanted to build a rocket, so now you have an excuse!). All children must be at least five years old to participate unless an adult stays with them in the children’s programming room.

The children’s ticket ($5 in advance, $10 at the door) includes access to all programs, not just children’s programs, but only children over 12 will be admitted to other parts of the conference without a parent or adult. Security will take lost/unaccompanied children to the hotel Front Desk and notify their parents.

A children’s ticket does not include lunch or dinner. “Space” lunches, from noon to 1:30 on Saturday and Sunday, are $5 each and may be purchased at the Information Table. There is “some assembly required” for these lunches (including rehydrating the drinks and making ice cream), and parents are welcome to buy a ticket (supplies permitting) for themselves and join in the fun. Snacks will be provided for Saturday night’s program, and a TV/VCR with space videos and/or cartoons will also be on hand for kids needing rest breaks. The children’s program ends at 5 PM on Saturday and resumes at 6 PM, and ends at 5 PM on Sunday. Babysitting is offered for a fee on Friday and Sunday nights from 6 to 10 PM. Details available at the Information table.

Jim Harford was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on August 19, 1924. From 1942- 1945, he attended Yale University and was awarded a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) degree. In 1945 he was commissioned as an Ensign, USNR. Serving aboard transport vessels in the Pacific and Japan, Mr. Harford was an Engineering Officer for the US Navy from 1945-1946.

Beginning in 1951, Mr. Harford began a journalistic approach to his career. He was a contract Technical Journalist in Paris, France. He wrote several articles on recovery of European industry under contract to US Marshall Plan. He was also an Associate Editor for Modern Industry (later Dun’s Review) in New York, in which he wrote numerous articles about US industrial production methods.

From 1953-1963, Mr. Harford became the Executive Secretary of the American Rocket Society (ARS) in New York, in which he directed staff during growth of the US rocket and spaceflight program. Membership grew from 2,500 in pre-Sputnik years to 21,000 in 1963. He was also the leading force in the merger of ARS with the Institute of Aeronautics Sciences to for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). In 1964, he became AIAA’s Deputy Executive Director in New York.

From 1964-1988, Mr. Harford was the Executive Director, AIAA, New York and Washington DC. As chief of staff of this professional aerospace science and engineering society, he directed a staff of 250, publishing journals, supervised public policy formation, organized technical conferences, managed membership development, regional and student activities, wrote for Aerospace America, represented AIAA at annual International Astronautical Federation (IAF) congresses from 1959, London to 1993, Graz.

Mr. Harford retired from AIAA in 1989. From 1989-1992, he conceived and co-chaired the program committee for the August 1992 World Space Congress in Washington DC, celebrating the International Space Year. He is currently serving on AIAA International Activities Committee and on International Space Plans and Policies Committee, and History Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

Since 1992, Mr. Harford has been a visiting fellow with the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. He became a Verville Fellow 1992-1993.

Mr Harford is the author of: KOROLEV: How One Man Masterminded the Russian Drive to Beat America to the Moon

The Soviets, led by their legendary, anonymous “Chief Designer,” Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, were riding high in the late 1950s and early 60s, having launched the world’s first satellite, then the first dog, first man, first woman, first three men, and first spacecraft to impact the Moon and Venus.

Korolev was determined to beat the “Amerikantsy” in the big prize as well–the circumnavigation and then landing of a man on the Moon. The story of how he fought his technical and political battles–including survival of years in the Gulag–in what turned out to be a vain effort to achieve these goals has been, until recently, hidden in a Russian black hole.

Harford, whose career in aerospace has spanned 46 years, spent some six years researching the book, drawing on 60 interviews with Korolev’s colleagues and family members during 15 trips to Russia.

Copies of his book are available in the Exhibit Room throughout the conference, and an autographing session is scheduled for immediately following his luncheon presentation.

APOLLO 10 – 30th Anniversary Celebration

Eugene Cernan, Thomas Stafford, John Young

THE CREW OF APOLLO 10

Capt. Eugene CernanLunar Module Pilot

received his commission through the Navy ROTC Program at Purdue. Gene was one of fourteen astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. He occupied the pilot seat alongside of command pilot Tom Stafford on the Gemini IX mission. During this 3-day flight in 1966, Cernan, the second American to walk in space, logged two hours and ten minutes outside the spacecraft. On his second space flight, he was lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, May 18-26, 1969, the first lunar-orbital flight test of an Apollo lunar module, in addition to demonstrating that man could navigate safely and accurately in the Moon’s gravitational fields.

He made his third space flight as spacecraft commander of Apollo 17, and was the last man to walk on the Moon. In September, 1973, Cernan assumed additional duties as Special Assistant to the Program Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program at the Johnson Space Center. He has been actively involved as a co-anchorman on ABC-TV’s presentations of the flights of the shuttle. Captain Cernan is currently Chairman of Johnson Engineering, which supports the Johnson Space Center and NASA, and recently authored a book, The Last Man on the Moon, autographed copies of which are available in the Exhibit Room throughout the conference.

Capt. John YoungCommand Module Pilot

studied aeronautical engineering at Georgia Tech. With graduation, Young joined the US Navy. In September 1962, Young was named to the second group of NASA astronauts. He flew as pilot of Gemini 3 with Gus Grissom commanding. On Gemini 10 in 1966, commander Young and pilot Michael Collins rendezvoused with two Agena target vehicles and boosted their orbit to a then-record 475 miles.

As command module pilot for the Apollo 10 lunar landing dress rehearsal, Young circled the Moon alone while his crewmates flew within 50,000 feet of the surface. He then docked the command module “Charlie Brown” with the lunar lander “Snoopy.”

Three years later, in April 1972, John Young left his boot print on the Moon as commander of Apollo 16. From 1974 to 1987, Young served as Chief of the Astronaut Office. On April 12, 1981, exactly 20 years after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, the Space Shuttle Columbia rocketed from the Kennedy Space Center with Young commanding. Young flew his sixth flight, STS-9, launched in November 1983, the first Spacelab mission.

From May 1987 to February 1996, Young served as Special Assistant to the JSC Director for Engineering, Operations and Safety responsible for defining and resolving safety issues related to the Shuttle, International Space Station and advanced human space exploration. Currently, he is Associate Director (Technical) responsible for technical, operational and safety oversight of all spaceflight programs at JSC.

Gen. Thomas StaffordSpacecraft Commander

graduated with honors in 1952 from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. He received his pilot wings at Connally AFB, Waco, Texas, in September 1953. He was one of the second group of astronauts selected by NASA in September 1962. He piloted Gemini VI (December 1965) which performed the world’s first rendezvous in space. He commanded Gemini IX (June 1966). In May, 1969 Stafford commanded Apollo 10, a mission described as staggering in its complexity. Back when computers were little more than adding machines, they demonstrated every maneuver for the landing mission except the final descent.

As Head of the Astronaut Group in 1969, and Dep. Director of Flight Crew Operations at JSC in 1971, Stafford assigned crews and monitored training. He logged his fourth space flight as Apollo Commander of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (July 15-24, 1975).

Stafford assumed command of the Air Force Flight Test Center in 1975. He was promoted to Major and then Lieutenant General, and in 1978, became Deputy Chief of Staff, Research Development and Acquisition, Headquarters USAF, Washington, D.C. Stafford retired from the Air Force in November 1979.

A three-star General with over 507 hours in space, experience in over 127 different types of aircraft and helicopters, Stafford now sits on the Board of Directors of ten major corporations. He co-founded and is currently Vice Chairman of the technical consulting firm of Stafford, Burke, and Hecker, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia.

Dr. Christopher Columbus Kraft began his 38-year career in 1945 as an engineer with the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory. Kraft, a native Virginian and VPI aeronautical engineering graduate, was selected in 1958 as one of the original members of the Space Task Group that developed Project Mercury. He was the nation’s first flight director, personally serving as Flight Director for all Mercury missions and many of the Gemini missions, and was the Director of the Johnson Space Center for ten years, from 1972 until he retired in 1982.

Even in retirement, Dr. Kraft has continued to serve NASA. In 1995 he led an independent team to evaluate Shuttle operations at the Johnson, Kennedy, Marshall, and Stennis Space Centers.

He was awarded the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal in 1963, and its highest award, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1981. He received the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement this March (1999). He received the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement this March (1999). In nominating him, one aerospace company said, “As much as any individual alive today, Christopher C. Kraft is responsible for the success of the US space program in the late 20th century… Indeed, it is safe to say that without Chris Kraft our nation would not have a space program, nor would it be recognized as the world leader in space exploration.”

Owen Morris

Mr. Morris joined NACA, the predecessor to NASA, in 1948 at Langley Field Virginia. In 1961 he transferred to the NASA Space task group where he was assigned to the Apollo Program Office. He served in various capacities in that office until the end of the program. He was manager of the Lunar Module from Apollo 11 until Apollo 16 and then was Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program through Apollo 17. He was one of the founders of Eagle Engineering, later Eagle Aerospace, in 1980 and served as President, CEO, and Chairman at various times until he retired in 1996.

Bob Thompson

Robert Thompson began his career in federal service in 1947 at Langley Research Center and was one of the original members of the Space Task Group. As an engineer, he was involved in the Landing and Recovery of spacecraft. He moved to Houston in 1962. From 1966 to 1970, he managed NASA’s first space station program, Skylab. From 1970 to 1981, he was the head of the Space Shuttle Program. He retired from NASA in 1981 and went to work as the Vice President for Manned Programs at McDonnell Douglas. He retired from McDonnell Douglas in 1993. He currently resides in the Clear Lake area of Houston with his wife (Dot) and serves on the Board of the NASA Alumni League.

Capt. Frank Culbertson

Frank Culbertson graduated from Annapolis in 1971. He was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in May 1984. Following his first flight, he served as the Deputy Chief of the Flight Crew Operations – Space Station Support Office as well as the lead astronaut for Space Station Safety. In that role he supervised the engineers and astronauts evaluating the design, safety, and operational capabilities of Space Station Freedom. He also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office Mission Support Branch and Chief of the Johnson Space Center Russian Projects Office. On his first mission, Culbertson served as pilot on STS-38. More recently, Culbertson commanded the STS-51 mission aboard the Shuttle Discovery, which launched on September 12, 1993. Culbertson has served as Program Manager, Phase 1 Shuttle/Mir. He is currently a Program Manager for the International Space Station, now under construction in Low Earth Orbit.

Capt. Andrew Hoboken

Andrew Hoboken was born and raised in New Jersey, and was recalled from leave by the US Navy on Pearl Harbor Day. He became a member of the Space Task Group in mid 1960, and was assigned to the field office of McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis, where he served as capsule checkout manager for Project Mercury. He became the Resident Manager in 1966 and served both JSC and MSFC on the Skylab docking tunnel and the instrumentation storage module. In 1967 he was transferred to become the Manager, Resident Apollo Spacecraft Program Office, Bethpage, NY, to manage the design, manufacturing, and test operations for the Lunar Module. Hobokan retired from NASA in August 1979.

NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY TRACKPasadena Room, Friday

Welcome

Marianne Dyson Chairman of the 1999 ISDC and a member of the NSS Board of Directors, was selected as Space Activist of the Year in 1996. She is a former NASA flight controller with a degree in physics, a Precinct Chairman, Election Judge, and full-time writer.

Spaceweek

Spaceweek has undergone some important changes. One significant development was the change in dates to the first full week of March each year. The primary rationale is to better impact education by moving Spaceweek into the school year. Chapters and members are urged to continue by holding special public events during Spaceweek each year.

Dennis Stone is volunteer President of Spaceweek International Association, a non-profit educational organization based in the United States. Today he serves in the International Space Station Program Office at the Johnson Space Center

Dark Life

Over the past decade, microbiologists have found mounting evidence that a vast microbial biosphere extends deep into the Earth’s crust, forming food chains wholly removed from sunlight and photosynthesis. One very controversial subset of the underground organisms on Earth is so-called “nanobacteria”-novel organisms purportedly smaller than any known life forms. Evidence of fossilized nanobacteria has been claimed for Martian meteorite ALH 84001.

Michael Ray Taylor is the author of Dark Life: Martian Nanobacteria, Rock-Eating Cave Bugs, and Other Extreme Organisms of Inner and Outer Space, published by Scibner in April 1999. A veteran caver who has explored hundreds of wild caves throughout the world, Taylor chairs the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts at Henderson State University in Arkansas.

Marianne Dyson – photo by Scott McLaren

Zero-G Students

The Reduced-Gravity Program sponsored by NASA and administered by the Texas Space Grant Consortium, offers high school and college students the opportunity to do research in a weightless environment.

The environment is obtained using a modified KC-135A turbojet. Ms. Dyson flew as a journalist with students from the University of Illinois NSS chapter this March. Several of the students will be in attendance to share their personal experiences with this program, including Kennda Lynch and Mark Wallace.

Marianne Dyson is an author whose work has appeared in numerous national publications including Ad Astra, Analog, Compressed Air, Odyssey, Poet’s Market, Redbook, Scholastic News, Science Fiction Age, and Space News. Her first children’s book, Space Station Science, will be available this October from Scholastic. Copies can be pre-ordered at Jeremy’s Books’ table in the Exhibits room.

Hotels in Space

What will hotels in space look like? When might they be available to host future space conferences on location?

Gregory R. Bennett has more than 25 years of experience in aerospace engineering, with responsibilities ranging from management to detailed technical analysis. He just recently went to work for Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas, NV where he is Vice President of Spacecraft Development. He is the founder of several successful non-profit organizations (including the Artemis Society), and writes science fiction under the cleverly disguised pseudonym of Gregory Bennett.

Space Business Parks

Chuck Lauer is the co-founder of Pioneer Rocketplane, and is Vice President of Business development. Mr. Lauer is the President of Peregrine Properties in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is responsible for arranging financing. He was an advisor to the NASA-aerospace industry Commercial Space Transportation Study.

Energy from Space: A Sustainable Resource in the Battle Against Global Warming

Concern for the Earth’s environment is pervasive and universal. With this awareness and with the environmental benefits of space solar power, policy makers are more likely to support the critical initial phase of a space power program

Lyle Jenkins recently retired from NASA after over 35 years in the space industry as an engineer. He has a Masters degree from Berkeley and served in the Navy for 3 years. He currently resides in the Clear Lake area with his wife.

Allemande to the Stars:Bootstrapping Space Settlements with BootLaces

How you will travel to your new home in space on a shoe-string budget, using a series of rotating tethers to sling you across the solar system. The materials for your new home were shipped from Luna and asteroids via the same tethers, without the expense of rocket fuel.

Bruce Mackenzie is an NSS Director, active in the NSS Boston Chapter, a Senior Associate of the Space Studies Institute, and member of the AIAA New England council. Bruce just became the acting Executive Director of the Mars Society, which promotes the exploration and settlement of Mars.

MARS TRACKGalveston Room, Saturday

Water on Mars

The surface of Mars with its rounded peaks and craters suggests an ice-rich crust. At the poles, we may have to only penetrate a few meters to find water.

Steve Clifford is a scientist with a Ph.D. in physics who is currently working in Houston at the Lunar and Planetary Science Institute.

Power and Dust

The Mars Pathfinder mission was the first to use solar cells for power – how well did they work, and what is the effect of Martian dust on solar cells for future surface missions?

Dr. Geoffrey Landis is a scientist with a Ph.D. in physics and one of the Principal Investigators on the Mars Pathfinder Rover Team. He is currently a Fellow of the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts. He was an Instructor at the International Space University in the of summer 1998. He is also a Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction writer. His novel, “Mars Crossing,” will be available in late 2000 from Tor Books.

Life on Mars: Evidence from the Martian Meteorites

In 1996 four lines of scientific evidence on features within the ALH84001 Martian meteorite were interpreted to suggest past biogenic activity. Evidence, both pro and con, will be evaluated along with presentation of new data from two additional Martian meteorites, which support the original life on Mars hypothesis.

Everett Gibson is a Senior Scientist in the Earth Sciences and Solar System Exploration Division of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. He worked in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory during the Preliminary Examination of the Returned Lunar Samples during Apollo’s 12-17.

TransHab Development

Donna Fender currently serves as the Project Manager of the TransHab, an inflatable habitation module for multiple space applications (ISS, Mars,…). In this capacity she is responsible for leading a group of civil servants and contractors in the highly successful demonstration of the inflatable habitation module technology.

Mars 3-D Slides

A feature of the Mars Pathfinder was a camera that took stereo photographs. This slide show will feature the 3-D Pathfinder images in “anaglyph” (red/blue glasses) format, allowing you to view the Pathfinder landing site in 3D. Dr. Geoffrey Landis (see above).

Mars-Earth Rapid Interplanetary Transport (MERITT) System

This is a new concept for using tethers for rapid transport from Earth to Mars and back again. Detailed analyses by Nordley has since shown that the idea is very feasible. It uses two rotating tethers in highly elliptical orbits; EarthWhip around Earth and MarsWhip around Mars. The EarthWhip tether zooms down at high speed and picks up a payload in a SUBORBITAL trajectory and tosses it to Mars. The MarsWhip tether catches the payload and puts it gently into the upper atmosphere of Mars.

Dr. Robert L. Forward is a consulting scientist, future technologist, lecturer, and science fact and science fiction writer. He is Partner and Chief Scientist of Tethers Unlimited, Inc.

Carl Allen is a Planetary Geologist, employed by Lockheed Martin at the Johnson Space Center. He earned a Ph.D. in Planetary Science from the University of Arizona, specializing in the surface geology of Mars.

In-Situ Resource Utilization

Creating fuel, air, and water out of the resources available on the surface of Mars and other planets offers great benefits to future human exploration.

Doug Cooke is Manager of the Exploration Office of NASA JSC. He formerly was Vehicle Manager, Space Station Program Office.

The Mars Manned Aircraft

The people who visit Mars to explore its frontiers will need to have the right tools to do the job. One such tool is a transportation system to allow access to other than local sites. Any useful system will need both ground-based and airborne segments, and this talk focuses on the latter.

Paul Swift is a past president of the Canadian Space Society, chairman of the 1994 ISDC in Toronto, Ontario, a senior member of the AIAA, a director within the MSDC, and active member of the newly formed NSS chapter–the Calgary Space Frontier Society (CSFS).

Greening of Mars

Since the beginning of human history Mars has been an alluring dream–the stuff of legends, gods, and mystery. The planet most like ours, it has still been thought impossible to reach, let alone explore and inhabit. Robert Zubrin explains how we can one day “terraform” Mars–a process that can alter the atmosphere of the planet and pave the way for sustainable life.

Robert Zubrin formerly a Staff Engineer at Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver, is now president of his own company, Pioneer Astronautics. He holds Master degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering. He is the inventor of several unique concepts for space propulsion and exploration, the author of over 100 published technical and non-technical papers in the field, as well as the book The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must published by the Free Press. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Space Society. Prior to his work in astronautics, Dr. Zubrin was employed in areas of thermonuclear fusion research, nuclear engineering, radiation protection, and as a high school science teacher.

SPACE LAW TRACKSouth Padre Room, Saturday AM

The Commercial Space Act

Passage of the Commercial Space Act was a big victory for space activists, but much work remains to be done to encourage the business of space. What might the Congress do to improve this law and others?

Ransom Wuller is the President of ProSpace, a lobby group best known for its “March Storm” of grassroots space supporters on Congress each year.

2000 Campaigns

The United States will elect a new President in 2000 who will lead us into the next millennium. How might we make sure that space is on the President’s agenda?

Greg Rucker is the NSS VP for Fundraising and has been active in grassroots politics for many years. He will share his experience on how to identify and aid prospace candidates for office as well as insert prospace language into party platforms in 2000.

Property Rights in Space

Discussion of the goals and expected outcome of a proposal for real property rights in outer space, including legal, political, social, and military implications.

Wayne White is an attorney with a private practice in Wheat Ridge, a suburb of Denver, Colorado. He graduated from Chapman College, received a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside, and received his law degree from the University of California, Davis. Mr. White has been a member of the L5 Society and the National Space Society since 1978. He is also a member of the International Institute of Space Law, and has published five academic articles in the field of international space law. Mr. White currently serves as the NSS Region 4 Chapters Organizer, and is Chair of the Denver bid committee for the 21st ISDC which will be held in 2002.

Government’s Role In Opening the Space Frontier

includes leadership, regulation, research, economic and educational aspects. How these roles are applied at the international, national and local levels will be discussed.

Brendan Keefe is a reporter with NBC’s channel 2 in Houston and will serve as panel Moderator. Houston City Councilman Rob Todd represents the Clear Lake and Kingwood areas of Houston which are home to many aerospace industries and educational institutions.

Walter Cunningham has enjoyed careers in the military, civilian government service and private industry. He began his career as a marine corps fighter pilot and holds the rank of Colonel, USMC-Retired with 4,500 hours pilot time. He graduated from UCLA (physics) and the Harvard graduate school of business. He is best known as NASA’s second civilian astronaut and in 1968, he orbited the Earth 163 times as the pilot of Apollo 7 – the first manned flight of the Apollo program. He spent 2.5 years as chief of the Skylab branch of the astronaut office before entering private business in Houston in 1971. Mr. Cunningham is a successful business man, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, lecturer, author (“The All American Boys”), host of Lift-off to Logic, a radio talk show, and is currently Chairman of the Texas Aerospace Commission. He is the recipient of numerous national and international honors, including a member of the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

MOON TRACKSouth Padre Room, Saturday PM

Lunar Prospector’s Latest

According to early data from NASA’s Lunar Prospector mission, there is a high probability of significant quantities of water ice at both lunar poles. This spacecraft is also producing high-quality gravitational maps of the lunar surface, which will be a resource for future lunar missions.

Dr. Alan Binder is the Principle Investigator for the Lunar Prospector Mission. A planetary scientist for over 35 years, he worked with space activists for nearly 10 years to develop the Lunar Prospector mission concept and design. He is the director of the Lunar Research Institute in Gilroy, California.

The NSS Center for Lunar Research

Our vision is that the Center will be a center of excellence for lunar data interpretation. The focus is resource identification and development, which once modeled for the Moon, can be a prototype for other planets. This summer, three students at the University of Wisconsin will receive the first awards from the Center to undertake lunar resource analysis.

Pat Dasch is the Executive Director of the National Space Society. She was previously Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra Magazine. Before joining NSS headquarters staff in 1994, she worked for SAIC as a Planetary Science Analyst.

Moon History

What is the Moon’s origin, and how did it evolve over time? Did it once have an atmosphere? How did bombardment change things?

Dr. Paul Spudis was one of the scientists of Clementine — the first faster, cheaper, better satellite to image the Moon in 1994. He currently works at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston.

Moon Colony

Wendell Mendell is a planetary scientist with 35 years of experience at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. He specialized in interpretation of remote sensing data from the lunar surface. He is editor of the book Lunar Bases and Space Activities in the 21st Century.

Lava Tubes

What lava tubes are and how they form on Earth. Why we are confident they exist on both the Moon and Mars. What is the potential significance of lavatubes for human outposts and settlement. Can lavatubes be pressurized and made into self-contained biospheres?

Cheryl York and Bryce Walden hail form Oregon City, Oregon where they have been actively involved in NSS chapter activities for many years, including working under a NASA grant on lava tube research. Peter Kokh has edited Moon Miners’ Manifesto since its inception nine years ago, shortly after he helped co-found the Lunar Reclamation Society (NSS-Milwaukee). He has served on the NSS Board of Directors, and helped start several other chapters, the Lunar National Agricultural Experiment (LUNAX), the Wisconsin Space Business Roundtable, and the First Contact Science/Science Fiction Convention. He is also an amateur artist experimenting with “paints” made entirely from materials producible from moondust. Peter chaired the ISDC 1998 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

SPACE MEDICINE TRACKCorpus Christi Room, Saturday

What We Know

After nearly four decades of piloted space flights, the human physiological response to weightlessness and other space flight factors is becoming known. This presentation will review current knowledge, highlighting the work done in conjunction with Space Shuttle/Mir crewmembers, and indicate some of the research needed to prepare for future exploration-class missions.

John Charles, Ph.D. is a manager in the Human Life Sciences Programs Office at NASA JSC. Scientist on STS-95 responsible for integrating and implementing the investigations.

Russian Therapeutics for Long-Duration Spaceflight

Maintaining crewmember health and preventing injury during long-duration spaceflight presents many challenges to NASA life scientists and flight surgeons. A review of these items has taught the US space program both what to expect for illnesses and injuries on-board a space station, as well as differences in US and American medical practice and philosophy.

Tom Marshburn, M.D. is a flight surgeon at the NASA Johnson Space Center and co-chair for Medical Operations in the Shuttle/Mir Phase 1 program.

STS-95/ Geriatrics

William Paloski, Ph.D. is a senior scientist in the Neurosciences Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center. He is responsible for studying postural stability, control, and performance before and after space flight. Recently, Dr. Paloski was principal investigator of a balance control study aboard STS-95, in which Senator John Glenn was one of his test subjects.

Pharmacology

The weightless environment of space alters the use of medication.

Eleanor O’Rangers, Pharm.D. is currently medical liaison manager for Parke-Davis in Lawrenceville, NJ. She is also a consultant for NASA with Nutrition/Pharmacology Integrated projects team. An NSS member, she organized and coordinated the ISDC ’99 Space Medicine Track.

Critical Path Plan for Food and Nutrition Research Required for Planetary Exploration Missions

In preparation for future planetary exploration, NASA-Johnson Space Center has developed a critical path plan for food and nutrition research needs. The plan highlights the risk factors pertaining to food and nutrition associated with exposure to the space flight environment as well as the possible consequences if no corrective measures are implemented.

Yael Vodovotz, Ph.D. received her doctorate in food science from the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Vodovotz is currently holding a postdoctoral position as part of a joint effort between the University of Houston and NASA-Johnson Space Center.

Babies in Space

The Human Exploration and Development of Space is charged with providing the research and enabling technologies to pursue successfully human exploration. Dr. Verklan explores the issues and challenges around having babies in space. Her conclusion is we must be prepared — there will be a space baby one day!

Therese Verklan, Ph.D. is certified in high-risk neonatal nursing, is the author of numerous clinical and research publications, and is well recognized as an international educator and leader in her profession. She is funded by the National Institute of Health (NICHD) to investigate underlying autonomic nervous system mechanisms involved in adaptation to extrauterine life as the fetus and neonate experience labor, delivery, birth, and the first 10 hours of life.

ISS Plans

Outline of NASA’s plans for medical operations on the International Space Station.

Roger Billica, M.D. is the NASA Chief of Medical Operations (JSC) and Director of the NASA Space Medicine Program. Other duties include Chairman of Multinational Medical Operations Panel, member of NASA Medical Policy Board, and a lead investigator into telemedicine space flight applications.

Psychosocial Issues in Crew Selection and Long Duration Spaceflight: Finding the Right Mix of the Right Stuff

A growing recognition has emerged that the time has come to move towards identifying those individuals who are best suited to maintain health and performance in space. Evidence to date has indicated areas in which group functioning has been compromised by communication breakdowns, interpersonal conflict, stress, and conflicts over authority. However, a renewed focus on psychosocial factors is beginning to yield information crew size, gender mix, composition, structure and the necessary interpersonal skills required for effective group selection and performance in extreme environments.

Sheryl L. Bishop, Ph.D. is a Social Psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. She is a founding member and Senior Editor for the Society of Human Performance in Extreme Environments.

The determination of the 3-dimensional structure of a protein molecule is an extremely important step in the development of new therapeutic substances. The primary limitation is the availability of suitable crystals of protein. Some crystals grown on Earth are not of sufficient quality because of gravity. Examples of crystals grown in a microgravity environment will be presented.

Edmund Czerwinski, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Sealy Center for Structural Biology in the Dept. of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.

Neurolab Findings

Neurolab is NASA’s contribution to the Decade of the Brain, a concentrated, disciplined study of the central nervous system. NASA has been using space shuttle flights to develop insight into Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy, brain injury, muscle atrophy, and sleep deprivation.

Astronaut Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D. flew as a Mission Specialist on the STS-90 Neurolab mission April 17-May 3, 1998 and logged 381 hours in space. With extensive experience in neurological studies and emergency medicine, he was selected as an astronaut by the Canadian Space Agency in 1992, and joined NASA’s international class of astronauts in 1995. He currently serves as the Director of the Space and Life Science at Johnson Space Center.

Wrap-up by Honorary Track Chairman

Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D., a pioneer of modern medicine, serves on the NSS Board of Governors. An ingenious medical inventor and innovator, a gifted and dedicated teacher, a premier surgeon, and an international medical statesman, Dr. DeBakey is relentlessly pursuing new avenues in which modern technology can be applied to the practice of saving lives. He is currently working with NASA to develop a self-contained, miniaturized artificial heart.

“Dreams to Reality” DinnerHouston/Galveston Ballroom, Saturday

What will Space: the Next Millennium be like? Will humans explore the galaxy like in Star Trek and Star Wars? What are our dreams of the future, and how can we make them a reality? The “Dreams to Realty” authors and scientists will be asking you during dinner, and then sharing your comments during a panel discussion. Our collective vision of where we want to go in space will be documented in articles and stories by some of those present.

Attendees who paid for special seating with a particular author or scientist should look for a card with their name on it at one of the RESERVED tables. Others may join these tables only if a card is marked OPEN, meaning that the seat is not reserved.

Besides playing Captain John Sheridan, the commander of a war-torn space station in the award-winning science fiction television series “Babylon 5”, Mr. Boxleitner is also known for his starring role in the popular series, “Scarecrow and Mrs. King.” He co-starred on Danielle Steele’s “Zoya,” an NBC mini-series with his real-life wife, Melissa Gilbert. He has also starred in several mini-series including “Till We Meet Again,” “From the Dead of Night,” “Bare Essence” and four of the five “Gamblers.” Among his numerous telefilm credits are “Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone,” “Gunsmoke V: One Man’s Justice,” “House of Secrets,” “The Secret,” “The Town Bully,” “East of Eden,” and “Double Jeopardy,” in which he also served as executive producer. On the big screen, Boxleitner starred in the feature film “Tron,” and has co-starred in “The Babe” and “Kuffs.” Among his achievements, Boxleitner shared “Best Actor in a Television Series” honors with David Duchovny of “The X-Files” at the annual Sci-Fi Universe Magazine Reader’s Choice Award. Mr. Boxleitner is a member of the Board of Governors of the National Space Society.

Zia

Liz Lysinger, Gia Catalucci (not present), Elaine Walker-Mullen

ZIA is an exclusively electronic band who has been playing in the New England area since 1993. Founded by Elaine Walker-Mullen, the President of the Boston Chapter of the National Space Society, ZIA offers a rare blend of pro-space and sci-fi music played on futuristic instruments.

Elaine, originally from Las Cruces, New Mexico, writes the music, sings during the live show and plays a homemade “ZIA Drum” which she holds like a guitar. Liz Lysinger, from Detroit, and Hae Young Kim, originally from Korea, trigger melodic synth lines from Drum Kats & racks of MIDI triggers made from aluminum pipes and discarded circuit boards. Liz also plays a MIDI keyboard and sings harmonies. Microtonal musical scales run rampant throughout the Zia repertoire. In the pop genre this is a monumental task which adds an eerie, futuristic edge to the songs. All three members hold degrees in Music Synthesis from Berklee College of Music. Liz also has a degree in Film Scoring, and Hae Young has a degree in Music Production & Engineering as well. Elaine will be attending graduate school at NYU this Fall for Music Technology.

ZIA is releasing a full length CD “Big Bang!” this summer on Gig Records. A six song CD “Frontier Creature” is also available, offering a medley of pro-space songs including the title track which won 6th place in the recent NSS songwriting contest. Their CD/EP “Shem” was released in 1996 and includes multimedia detailing a history of American space exploration and facts about the solar system. Programmed by Elaine, it is an example of how ZIA supports and promotes space exploration and the new technology it creates.

VIDEOS, TAPES, CDs, AND BOOKS

During the reception, you may purchase copies of tapes and CDs by Zia and books and magazines by the authors in attendance, and get them autographed. Also, videos and DVD copies of “Mind’s Eye” and “Planetary Traveler” will be available for sale and signature. Thanks to Jan Nickman, proceeds from the video and CD sales will benefit the National Space Society.

Catherine Asaro was born in Oakland, California and grew up in El Cerrito, just north of Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. in Chemical Physics and MA in Physics, both from Harvard. A former ballet dancer, she lives with her husband and daughter in Maryland.

Catherine’s fiction is a successful blend of hard science fiction and exciting space adventure. Her critically acclaimed bestseller, the novel Primary Inversion came out in hardcover in March 1995 and paperback in May 1996. Primary Inversion was on the 1995 preliminary Nebula ballot and the Locus recommended reading list, and was a finalist for the Compton Crook award. The hardcover of Catch the Lightning came out in December 1996 from Tor, and won the 1997 Sapphire Award and the UTC Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. The Last Hawk, which came out in November 1997, was nominated for a Nebula Award this year. The Radiant Seas was published in 1998, and her most recent novel, Quantum Rose, is currently being serialized in Analog Science Fiction magazine – available during the reception. The sequel to The Last Hawk, Ascendant Sun, is due out in March 2000.

Robert Forward

Dr. Robert L. Forward is a consulting scientist, future technologist, lecturer, and science fact and science fiction writer. The latest of his 13 published book-length works include Indistinguishable From Magic; (a collection of short fiction stories and science fact articles), and SF novels Rocheworld and its four sequels, Return to Rocheworld, Ocean Under the Ice, Marooned on Eden and Rescued from Paradise; Timemaster; Camelot 30K; and Saturn Rukh. His novels and short stories are “hard” science fiction, where the science is as accurate as possible, and each story always includes humans interacting with biologically feasible non-humanoid aliens.

Geoffrey Landis

Dr. Geoffrey Landis lives in Berea, Ohio, and is a scientist at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. With a Ph.D. in physics, he was one of the Principal Investigators on the Mars Pathfinder mission, and is an experimenter on the Mars-2001 Surveyor Lander. He recently won a fellow-ship from the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts to study interstellar propulsion. He is currently a Fellow of the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts. He was an Instructor at the International Space University in Summer 1998. His first science fiction story was published in 1984. He won a Nebula in 1990 for his story, “Ripples in the Dirac Sea.” His novella, “Ecopoiesis” was nominated for a Nebula this year. His first novel Mars Crossing” will be available in late 2000 from Tor Books.

Robert Zubrin

Robert Zubrin holds Master degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering. He is the inventor of several unique concepts for space propulsion and exploration, the author of over 100 published technical and non-technical papers in the field, as well as the book The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must published by the Free Press. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Space Society. Prior to his work in astronautics, Dr. Zubrin was employed in areas of thermonuclear fusion research, nuclear engineering, radiation protection, and as a high school science teacher.

Ken Jenks

Ken Jenks was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He has a degree in computer science, a Masters in Aerospace Engineering, and is working on a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. He came to Houston to work in the aerospace industry in 1989, first as a contractor, now as a civil servant with NASA. He is a private pilot, SCUBA diver, avid reader, and editor of Mind’s Eye Fiction. Mind’s Eye Fiction is an online publisher of short stories and novels including such authors as Larry Niven, Robert Silverberg, and David Brin. He also has stories by Marianne Dyson, Gregory Bennett, Geoffrey Landis and himself. Visit the Mind’s Eye site at: http://tale.com. (link no longer valid)

Carmen Bredesen

Carmen writes non-fiction books for young people, including works on prominent 20th century Americans such as Dr. Jonas Salk, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and a series of books on astronauts and the space program, including works on Gus Grissom, Neil Armstrong, and Shannon Lucid. She has an upcoming book Living on the Space Shuttle.

Jan Nickman

Planetary Traveler is the brainchild of two-time Emmy award winning director/producer Jan C. Nickman. The production is the ultimate quest of a mysterious alien race whose visual flight logs unfold in a mesmerizing display of nature’s art on a cosmic scale. Two years in the making, Planetary Traveler is the first full-length production ever produced entirely on desk top computers. Nickman was also responsible for the ground-breaking computer-animated hit, The Mind’s Eye: a spectacular odyssey through time. The Mind’s Eye joins the imaginations of over 300 of the world’s most talented computer animation artists. Both productions are available for sale and autographing by Mr. Nickman during the reception, with a percentage of the proceeds to be donated to the National Space Society by Third Planet Productions.

Marianne Dyson

Chairman of the 1999 ISDC and a member of the NSS Board of Directors, is a former NASA flight controller with a degree in physics. She left NASA in 1984 and began publishing articles, stories, and poems related to space. Her work has appeared in numerous national publications including Ad Astra, Analog, Compressed Air, Odyssey, Poet’s Market, Redbook, Scholastic News, Science Fiction Age, and Space News. Her first children’s book, Space Station Science, will be available this fall from Scholastic.

Space Station TrackSouth Padre Room, Sunday

Space Station Assembly Overview

Dr. Jack Bacon works at the NASA Johnson Space Center as systems integration lead of numerous Russian and American spacecraft, including the Zarya’ (also known by its Russian acronym: FGB), the first element and bridge module of the new International Space Station.

ISS Mission Control

Robert Castle began his career with NASA as a summer intern in 1976. He worked as an Instrumentation and Communications Officer (INCO) in Mission Control for ten shuttle flights and served as Chief of the Communications Section. He was selected as a Flight Director in 1988, and was the Mission Operations lead for Shuttle/Mir and is currently a Lead Flight Director working on future flights.

ISS Training

Frank Hughes as Chief of the Space Flight Training Division, leads an organization responsible for all Shuttle and Space Station Training. This includes the development and conduct of the training for flight crews and flight controllers. It also includes the development of new technologies for training and education in the United States.

Keeping It Cool on Space Station

How is the interior of the International Space Station kept cool enough for people and equipment to work? The Heat Rejection Subsystem (HRS) Radiators dissipate the excess heat produced on the Space Station. Learn all about the Space Station HRS Radiators: from their size and design components to highlights of the testing required prior to their going into orbit.

Carol Johnson System Engineering Technical Program Manager-Heat Rejection Subsystem Radiator Program. Carol has been a long-time National Space Society (NSS) member and is a co-founder of the NSS of North Texas Chapter.

Commercial Use of the Space Station

Sid Clinton has been an employee of NASA for the last 8 years, first in the Shuttle program and recently in the Space Station Program Office for almost 3 years. He is employed by NASA and assigned to the Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas International Space Station Program Office, Business Management Office. He is currently serving as the ISSPO commercialization liaison to NASA Headquarters and Chair of the Commercialization Working Group in the International Space Station Program Office and a member of the Office of Space Flight Commercialization Board in Washington, D.C.

Food Systems

Vicki Kloeris is Subsystem Manager for the Shuttle Food System. She is responsible for technical management of the Shuttle food system including: provision of flight food shipments, provision of food for training events, food service activities in support of the Health Stabilization Program, and Shuttle related research and development activities.

Japan’s Participation in the International Space Station Program

Japan is contributing several elements to the International Space Station: JEM, Japanese Experiment Module; the HTV, H-II Transfer Vehicle; and CAM, Centrifuge Accommodation Module. An overview of some of the intriguing new capabilities of these various elements will be presented.

Koji Yanagawa was formerly in charge of the Engine Development Group, and the Space Experiment Group. In 1998, Yanagawa was appointed the Director of the NASDA Houston Office.

Russian Status

Explore the meaning of international space development in context of U.S.-Russian programs (Shuttle-Mir and current ISS). The thesis of this talk is that in order to realize human exploration of the solar system, space groups (governments, commercial entities, and advocacy organizations) need to build upon the recent steps of the Shuttle-Mir program and the current efforts in the ISS program. The talk will explore the challenges and experiences of undertaking international management activities. The talk will also address the linkage between cooperative space activities, global security and commercial growth in space.

Tom Cremins has a Masters in International Affairs, Science, Technology and Public Policy from George Washington University. Before coming to NASA, he was a Civil, Commercial Space and Security Policy Analyst at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Space, in Washington, D.C. He joined NASA HQ in 1993, and moved to Houston in 1994 to assume his current assignment as Deputy Manager of the International Space Station, Phase One Russian Programs. He formulated assessments on the state of Russian space infrastructure and funding to all-levels of NASA management, Congress, and independent groups and led a number of fact finding and audit teams to Russia.

The Wall of EVA–The Daunting, Yet Exciting Future of EVA on the International Space Station

An overview and chronology of all the EVAs planned for the International Space Station EVAs over the next five years will be presented. Types of EVA tasks will be summarized, and common EVA tools will be discussed and demonstrated.

Matthew Mickle has worked for NASA for the past 10 years. Mr. Mickle began his career as a thermal analyst with the McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company, and later transferred to the Rockwell Space Operations Company, where he choreographed spacewalks, trained crewmembers, and supported shuttle flights in the Mission Control Center. Mr. Mickle currently works for Hamilton Standard Management Services in the JSC EVA Project Office, led by former astronaut, Greg Harbaugh.

X-38 – Crew Rescue Vehicle

The X38 project is an experimental spacecraft project being developed by the civil servants at JSC. The ultimate outcome of the X38 project will be a blueprint for development of the Crew Return Vehicle. The X38 is a technology demonstrator with the purpose of mitigating the development risks and cost associated with development of new human spacecraft. The X38 consists of 3 atmospheric vehicles and one spacecraft that will fly a reentry from space in the summer of 2000.

Brian Anderson has a BS in Physics from Arkansas Tech University and began work at JSC in August 1986 as a flight controller. He worked as an Ascent/Entry EGIL for 6 years. He led the design team for the core systems in the new Mission Control Center, including computer systems and software. He is an original member of the X38 design team, serving as the Avionics Design lead in 1995 and as the Launch Panel Operator on the first flight of X38 V131. He is currently the X38 Project Manager.

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY TRACKCorpus Christi Room, Sunday

MITEE: An Ultra Lightweight Nuclear Engine for New and Unique Planetary Science and Exploration Missions

Dr. James Powell has directed R&D efforts in a variety of areas, including advanced fission reactors, fusion reactors, space and defense systems, and new technologies for infrastructures. He holds 16 patents.

Latest Developments In Space Based Laser Technology

Project working towards an ABM Treaty compliant demonstration of boost phase Theater Missile Defense from space, gaining performance information critical to the development and operation of a SBL national defense system.

NASA’s space suit designs, uses, and development presented by a space suit engineer. Primary components of the Shuttle space suit will be shown and discussed as well as advanced space suit research and testing.

The Rotary Rocket “Roton” concept with its unique engine system and its novel landing method will be presented. Slides and videos will be shown.

Tom A. Brosz is founder of Rotary Rocket Company as well as a founder of both Pacific American Launch Systems, Inc. and GCH, Inc. He has worked in the field of launch vehicle design since 1972.

The Role of Telepresence and Virtual Presence in the Exploration of Space

The discussion will include definitions of telepresence and virtual presence, underlying technologies, challenges and limitations, and uses and benefits.

Francis X. Govers III is technical representative for SGI at the NASA Johnson Space Center, where his specialties are Advanced Graphics Systems and Virtual Reality.

Report From Kourou: The French Perspective on Space Transportation”

A review of my visit to the Arianespace Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana and the launch of Ariane 44 V110 in September, 1998. The presentation will include an overview of French space transportation programs, including evolution of Ariane 5 designs and automated launch processing operations.

Frank Sietzen is Editor-In-Chief of Ad Astra magazine. He has covered the space programs of the world for the past 18 years as a writer, analyst, correspondent, and editor.

The Terminator Tether™: Removing Dead Satellites From Orbit

Developing a lightweight satellite deorbit device called the “Terminator Tether™” to meet the growing need for a cost-effective method for removing defunct satellites from low Earth orbit.

Dr. Robert L. Forward is a consulting scientist, future technologist, lecturer, and science fact and science fiction writer. He is Partner and Chief Scientist of Tethers Unlimited, Inc.

The Role of High-Temperature Superconductors in Space Applications

Examples of applications which are currently being developed will be described, including the high temperature superconducting space experiment (HTSSE) which is now in space and providing results for ground testing.

Kamel Salama is Director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Materials Engineering with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston.

Interstellar Flight

With the discovery of planetary systems around nearby stars, it’s clear that, someday, we will want to send a probe to investigate planets of a nearby sun. We will discuss recent work looking at the possibility of small, low-cost interstellar probes using laser and microwave beam technologies.

Geoffrey Landis is a scientist at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. With a Ph.D. in physics, he was one of the Principal Investigators on the Mars Pathfinder mission, and is an experimenter on the Mars-2001 Surveyor Lander. He recently won a fellow-ship from the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts to study interstellar propulsion and is a Fellow of the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts. He was an Instructor at the International Space University in Summer 1998. His first science fiction story was published in 1984. He won a Nebula in 1990 for his story, “Ripples in the Dirac Sea.” His novella, “Ecopoiesis” was nominated for a Nebula this year. His first novel Mars Crossing” will be available in late 2000 from Tor Books.

Plasma Propulsion/Technology Development of the VASIMR Propulsion System

The laboratory is developing the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR). This new rocket propulsion system is more effective than the conventional chemical rocket and promises to reduce the travel time from Earth to Mars from seven months to less than four months.

Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz is an astronaut and Director of the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center. He is a veteran of six space flights: STS 61-C (materials processing laboratory MSL-2) in 1986, STS-34 (Galileo) in 1989, STS-46 (European Retrievable Carrier and the first Tethered Satellite System TSS) in 1992, STS-60 (Wake Shield Facility –1 and SpaceHab-2) in 1994, STS-75 (reflight of Tethered Satellite System and third flight of the United States Microgravity Payload USMP-3) in 1996, and STS-91 (final Mir- Shuttle docking mission and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment, researching antimatter in space) in 1998.

Space Exploration Using MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS)

The technology development efforts at Sandia National Laboratories to produce the next generation of silicon MEMS. Example devices that will be discussed include an electrostatic “microengine”” about the size of a dust mite, and a “microtransmission” assembly.

Dr. Thomas Krygowski received a B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Electrical Engineering, both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1998 for developing a novel fabrication technology for high-efficiency, low-cost single crystal silicon solar cells. In 1998, Thomas joined the Intelligent Micromachine Department of Sandia Laboratories to work on the development of silicon surface micromachining technologies for optical MEMS applications.

COMMERCIAL SPACE TRACKPasadena Room, Sunday

Introduction

Dan Brandenstien is the current President of the National Space Society. He is also vice-president of Lockheed Martin, overseeing the CSOC (Consolidated Space Operations Contract). A veteran of four space flights, Brandenstein served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1987 to 1992. He commanded the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-49) during the exciting rescue of the INTELSAT satellite.

The X-Prize

History has shown the amazing power of prizes to accelerate technology development. In the 20th century, the history of aviation contains literally hundreds of prizes which greatly advanced aircraft technology. The most famous, the Orteig Prize, created the incentive behind Charles Lindberg’s non-stop flight to Paris. The X-Prize exists to bring a focus to spaceflight. To win the $10 million prize, a privately financed vehicle must fly to 100km with the mass and volume equivalent to three people—twice within a two week period.

Peter Diamandis is President and Founder of the X-Prize Foundation, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Space Society.

Pioneer Rocketplane

Pioneer Rocketplane is a project which is clearly focused on the LEO satellite market, with the X-Prize and space tourism as a “sweetener”, or accelerant rather than their primary commercial aim. By transferring most of the mass of the vehicle’s propellants from an aerial tanker, the Pioneer Team plans to minimize the wing size, landing gear, air breathing engines, and other system components.

Chuck Lauer is the co-founder of Pioneer Rocketplane, and is Vice President of Business development. Mr. Lauer is the President of Peregrine Properties in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is responsible for arranging financing. He was an advisor to the NASA-aerospace industry Commercial Space Transportation Study.

Houston’s Role in Commercial Space

Will discuss space business archives and their significance to the future of space commerce.

Charlie Chafer is an internationally recognized high technology entrepreneur and pioneer of the commercial space age. He is a founder of Celestis, Inc., and President of the Celestis Foundation.

Encounter 2001

Encounter 2001, the Millennial Voyage, is the first interstellar mission for everyone who believes that intelligent life exists beyond our solar system. Encounter 2001 is another of humanity’s early efforts to accomplish perhaps its greatest social, technological and spiritual imperative: FIRST CONTACT. In the year 2001, a small spacecraft with the writings, drawings, photos and DNA samples (in the form of human hair) of millions of people from around the world will be launched on a journey beyond the solar system.

Charlie Chafer is an internationally recognized high technology entrepreneur and pioneer of the commercial space age. He is a founder of Celestis, Inc., and President of the Celestis Foundation.

Things Russian

A quick overview of the history and current direction of the space program of the former Soviet Union.

Daniel Gauthier is a free-lance artist who resides in Battle Creek, MI. His work has appeared in Ad Astra, Aviation Week and Space Technology, The New York Times, Spaceflight, Space News, and a number of other publications. He is the co-designer of the STS-60 Discovery mission patch. He is a life member of the National Space Society.

Dynamica

Dynamica Research is a research and development company dedicated to developing the technologies necessary for a spacefaring civilization. The goal of the company is to develop the enabling technologies for affordable and routine access to space to allow mankind to reap the full benefits of the utilization of space and to spin off these technologies for commercial development in other non-aerospace applications.

Norman J. LaFave Ph.D. President and CEO, Dynamica. Dr. LaFave has 18 years of experience doing state of the art research in physics, computer modeling, aerospace engineering, computers, and electro-optics for NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States Air Force and the United States Navy. Most recently he has been an independent contractor for the Lockheed Martin Corporation as an expert in aerodynamics and simulation for the NASA Space Shuttle and Space Station programs.

ShareSpace

ShareSpace is an idea to bring the lottery approach to strengthen and accelerate the growth of the commercial space tourism industry, by making space travel affordable to any person via a space travel lottery.

Ron Jones is Executive Director of ShareSpace Foundation which was founded by Buzz Aldrin. Jones has 25 years of aerospace industry experience including advanced programs at Rockwell International. and 6 years at Martin Marietta.

Space Adventures

Space Adventures was founded to exceed dreams and to carry us forward into a spacefaring future. We offer a set of programs called Steps to Space, which comprise everything from the broadest spectrum of space tour programs that can be experienced here on Earth, to actual flights into space. We will continue to reach toward our goal of making Space Adventures the preeminent space travel and exploration company.

Robert Pearlman is the Director of Communications for Space Adventures, Ltd. and the Director of Online Programs for the National Space Society. He is the webmaster of the internationally-recognized websites, “Ask An Astronaut” and “Space, Planetary, and Astronomical Cyber-Experience,” and the author of the Mars Pathfinder Quicktime VR movies used by NASA, CNN, and MSNBC. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the X Prize Foundation.

Celestis

Celestis recently garnered world-wide notice with the first launch of a post-cremation memorial spaceflight – carrying the ashes of several celebrities, space scientists, and enthusiasts into orbit.

Chan Tysor is the President of Celestis, and is responsible for overall operations. He coordinated the formation of Celestis, Inc. and the activities related to Celestis launches.

The National Space Institute was founded in 1974, and merged with the L-5 Society a few years later to form the National Space Society. The Society has since grown to a politically influential 23,000-member non-profit organization with over 75 chapters world-wide whose mission statement is: To promote change in social, technical, economic, and political conditions to advance the day when people will live and work in space.” Sunday night, May 30, 1999, NSS celebrates its first 25 years as its members boldly prepare to open the space frontier for settlement.

History of National Space Society Awards

The von Braun award is given in odd-numbered years, to an individual who possesses three characteristics exemplified by von Braun: (1) a visionary outlook toward spaceflight, (2) the ability to promote the vision extolled, and (3) the capability to manage large teams, instilling a remarkable sentiment of cohesion and loyalty among its members. Nominees are suggested by NSS Board members and voted on by the Awards Committee. The first von Braun award was presented in May 1993 at the 12th ISDC in Huntsville to Dr. Ernst Stulinger. That was followed in May 1995, when Maxwell W. Hunter received it in Cleveland at the 14th ISDC. Dr. George E. Mueller was the 1997 awardee at the 16th ISDC in Orlando.

In even-numbered years, the Heinlein Award is given to honor those individuals who have best promoted the creation of a free spacefaring civilization. The award is named after Robert Heinlein who was very active as a Director of the L5 Society. He helped to educate millions of people in the fundamentals of spaceflight with his writing, by teaching while entertaining. He espoused a distinct ethic, standing for social, economic, intellectual, and personal freedom combined with personal responsibility. His concept of personal freedom, which included the freedom of movement, is not freedom to vegetate. It is a participatory freedom of courageous individuals, with the integrity and initiative to work for their goals against conventional wisdom, if necessary. The award winners are nominated and selected by the entire membership of NSS. Winners to date are: Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill (1986), Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1988), Dr. Wernher von Braun (1990), Gene Roddenberry (1992), Dr. Robert H. Goddard (1994), Dr. Buzz Aldrin (1996), and Carl Sagan (1998). The award consists of a fireable miniature naval signaling cannon, (the symbol of the Lunar Republic in Heinlein’s novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress), mounted on a marble and solid wood base, along with a brass plate describing the award. The cannon barrel is inscribed with “TANSTAAFL”, an acronym popularized by Robert Heinlein.

Every year, the National Space Society Awards Committee presents Space Pioneer Awards to recognize the accomplishments of people in bringing us closer to opening the frontier. Generally 3 awards are given each year including the Space Activist of the Year award. 1992: Educator to Barbara Morgan, Business to Westinghouse Electric, Legislator to Barbara Mikulski, Activist to Bev Freed; 1993: Business to McDonnell Douglas Delta Clipper Team, Special Merit to Dan Goldin, Activist to Kirby Ikin; 1994: Science to Stewart Nozette, Special Merit to Tim Kyger, Activist to Richard Biehl; 1995: Mass Media to Glenn Heinmiller, Special Merit to Gen. Dan Graham and Dr. Mark Albrecht, Activist to Charles Miller; 1996: Mass Media to Jeff Kluger, Special Merit to Peter Diamandis, Entrepreneur to Charlie Chafer, Activist to Marianne Dyson; 1997 Entrepreneur to Greg Allison, Special Merit to Lori Garver, Science to Mars Meteorite Team, Activist to Jim Spellman; 1998: Entrepreneur to George Finch, Science to Alan Binder, Legislator to James Sensenbrenner, Activist to Peter Kokh. The winners receive a pewter Moon globe on a Lucite base which can require good communication skills to get past airport security.

As we move into Space: the Next Millennium, let us pause to thank the pioneers and volunteers who prepared the way.

Many Roads to Space Track

Houston Room/Saturday

Selling the Romance of Space in the 21st Century

In the 1960’s everything we did in space was new. It seemed that the public couldn’t get enough space. In the 1990’s attitudes have changed. Where do we go from here? How do we ignite the public’s imagination? Tony James has been a Member of the National Space Society of Australia since 1994 and has served as Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors. He now works at MediaSpace, a space-advocacy Public Relations firm in Australia.

Private Stations

This paper describes a modular, ground control assembled space station architecture with standardized docking ports, automated docking sequences and reusable modules. The underlying thrust of this architecture is to reduce the costs of constructing space stations for commercial use.

Steve Davis is currently employed by the US Air Force as a Test Pilot for Air Mobility Command and is working on testing upgrades to the KC- I 0, KC- 135 and C- 130 aircraft. He as been selected twice by the Air Force as a nominee for NASA’s astronaut selection board. He is an active member of the National Space Society and is an advocate of the human exploration of space.

Deep Space 1

Launched in October 1998, the Deep Space 1 spacecraft is demonstrating important new technologies for space exploration, including the first use of ion propulsion for an interplanetary mission. Flight Director Robert Gounley will describe the mission’s design, purpose, and history as the flight team prepares for a July encounter with a near-Earth asteroid.

Robert Gounley is the Flight Director for Deep Space 1: He directed the design, testing, and flight operation of DS1 command sequences and is the prime flight director for ion propulsion and solar array validation. He is a Board Member of the National Space Society.

Private Enterprise on the Moon

Artemis Society International President discusses how private enterprise will establish an exploration base on the Moon and grow from there to establish a permanent, self-supporting lunar community supported by tourism and other lunar industries.

Gregory R. Bennett (see bio in NSS Track on Friday).

NASA Technology Transfer

This presentation reviews the Technology Transfer and Commercialization activities at JSC, highlighting the entire process from new technology disclosures through the patent process and reviews how the license process works. It will be helpful to anyone interested in knowing how to find a NASA-JSC technology and how to license it for commercial applications.

Jim Cameron works at Johnson Space Center and is responsible for marketing NASA-JSC technologies to US companies. He is actively involved with all technology marketing prospects and works with companies to develop their license applications and commercialization plans.

Sky’s The Limit

This paper presents a mapping of kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum content with existing space-related educational software available. The software ranges in price approximately from $5 to $100. Technology, especially computer-based training, and space-related curriculum will be a major component of a new charter school in San Antonio, Texas. Most of them are in the mathematics and science curriculum.

Dr. Carol Luckhardt Redfield is an Assistant Professor at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. She teaches undergraduate and graduate classes, as well as being an academic advisor. She has her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Computer Science and Engineering and specializes in expert systems, game playing, space applications of artificial intelligence, software engineering, intelligent tutoring systems and educational software. She has chaired many conferences, including the 10th ISDC.

Insuring Space

Kirby Ikin is Chairman of the NSS Executive Committee and Chairman of the NSS of Australia. He is a space risk underwriter with an international company.

Energy from Space: A Sustainable Resource in the Battle Against Global Warming

Environmental research into the Earth system is defining its vulnerability to change. The buildup of greenhouse gases is a threat that can be alleviated by space solar power. With the environmental benefits of space solar power, policy makers are more likely to support the critical initial phase of a space power program.

Lyle Jenkins recently retired from NASA after over 35 years in the space industry as an engineer. He has a Masters degree from Berkeley and served in the Navy for 3 years. He currently resides in the Clear Lake area.

SPS Architecture

Seth Potter is currently employed by The Boeing Company in Downey, California, where he works on communications satellites, space solar power, and HEDS (Human Exploration and Development of Space). He has written or co-written over 20 articles, papers, and book chapters in the fields of energy, space solar power, wireless power transmission, and advanced space missions. He is a former Board Member of the Space Frontier Society of New York City, currently serves as Vice President of OASIS, the Los Angeles NSS Chapter, and is on the Board of the National Space Society’s Education Chapter.

Houston Room/Sunday

Social Studies

Michael Fulda, Ph.D. is a professor at Fairmont State College in Fairmont, West Virginia. Fluent in Russian, he teaches special courses in the area of the Social Science Study of Space. He is president of the Institute for the Social Science Study of Space.

Mission Math

Judy Vint is a middle school teacher trained by NASA and NCTM to conduct workshops on their Mission Mathematics materials.

Business Plans

To succeed in any business requires careful planning.

Mike Ryan, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Management at Bellarmine College in Kentucky. He formerly edited Space Business Notes.

Selling the Moon

Dale Amon is the Managing Director of Village Networking, Ltd. in Belfast, Ireland, and is playing a major role in the Artemis Society in the U.K.

Lunar Geology: Science Plus Private Enterprise Equals Exploration

Applied Space Resources’ Lunar Retriever mission will do more than bring back the first new lunar samples in over a quarter century. It will shake out design issues for the development of an inexpensive LEO-to-lunar-surface transfer vehicle capable of delivering 150kg of payload anywhere on the lunar surface for under $30 million.

Beth Elliott is Vice President – Communications of Applied Space Resources, Inc. She is a published author and columnist with a background in public relations. Jay Manifold is Vice President – Research & Development of Applied Space Resources, Inc.

Atmospheric Decontamination Capabilities In The Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS)

Dr. Martin Coleman has been a NASA environmental toxicologist for slightly over 18 years. His primary responsibility is to provide toxicological and other life sciences support to the JSC Payload Safety Review Panel.

Rockets for School

Aerospace Challenge involves student teams that compete in building and launching 5 ft tall 4 inch diameter high power rocket and payloads to 3,500 ft. The project is aligned with state math, science, and technology education standards.

David Dunlop is a long-time NSS member very active in promoting rocket projects in the Midwest.

Galveston Room/Monday

A Citizen’s Introduction To Military Space Operations

It is the military space program run by the Department of Defense and it affects the lives of every man and woman in the United States today. For without it, our defense would be much more difficult and expensive and some or our struggles, such as the Cold War, would have turned out far differently.

Howard Holmes currently serves as Vice-President of the Colorado Springs Chapter of NSS. He is presenting this paper for Lt. Col. T.K. Roberts, USAF (Ret.).

Student Zero-G Experiments on the “Vomit Comet”

Reports from the University of Illinois team whose experiment, “Flow Characteristics of Immiscible Fluids in Microgravity,” flew on NASA’s KC-135 this March.

Kennda Lynch is a Senior in Engineering and Biology at the University of Illinois. As a co-op student with Boeing, she worked on the space station program last summer at JSC. She is a member of the Illini Space Development Society, a chapter of NSS.

Tucson 2000

Next year, the ISDC will be in Tucson, Arizona. Come and hear all the great programming they have planned.

Tom Jasquish is the Programming Chairman for the Tucson 2000 ISDC. Speakers should talk to this man.

Motivating Kids for the Space Age

Demonstration by educational consultants and authors Michael and Rozalyn Mansfield of inspirational and motivational educational materials, including innovative math and science materials and presentation of motivational fiction for kids. Parents and teachers are encouraged to attend.

The Mansfields are Chairing the Children’s Program for this year’s ISDC. They live in Huntsville, Texas with their gifted daughter whom they are home-schooling.

Houston Room/Monday

Homestead Mars

Building on Mars with local materials.

Bruce Mackenzie (see Friday, NSS track)

Galileo Results

Since arriving at Jupiter in 1995, the Galileo mission has made many remarkable findings about Jupiter and its four large moons. Today, the spacecraft is preparing for a second close encounter with the volcanic moon Io.

Robert Gounley, formerly Deputy Engineering Team Chief, will describe the history of the mission to date and plans for the future.

Millennial Archive

Applied Space Resources is offering $50 of each $189 Personal Archive purchase to NSS as a donation. Chapters may wish to use this opportunity to raise funds for NSS.

Beth Elliot (see above)

Stardust

This February a Delta rocket was launched carrying a tiny spacecraft which will be the first object to directly sample a comet’s coma and return it to the Earth. This talk will summarize the mission scenario and goals.

Michael Zolensky, has a Ph.D. in Geochemistry and Mineralogy from Pennsylvania State University, and is a space scientist with NASA at JSC.

Corpus Christi Room/Monday

Drawing a Crowd

We can’t meet our goals in space if no one is listening.

Chris Pancratz is a life-long space enthusiast and an active Member of The National Space Society. He was recently elected to the Board of Directors of NSS and is currently serving as Assistant Secretary on the national Executive Committee where he is developing the NSS Leadership Fundraising Program.

Asteroid Slides

Someday, an asteroid or comet may wipe out life on Earth. NSS prepared a set of “canned” slides that you too can make into an exciting talk as a way to share the need for space development with others.

Robby Gaines is an active member of NSS and currently serves as the Publicity Chairman for ISDC 1999. He has given hundreds of speeches to adults and children.

NSS Endowment

An investment in the National Space Society is an investment in the future. Come and learn how easy it is to establish an endowment that will long outlive you.

Greg Rucker is Vice President of Fundraising for NSS.

Tomorrow’s Home

The Village of Tomorrow Project is intended to develop a working prototype Village called Starfield Valley in Colorado using design principles suggested by many already involved in the fields of CLLSS, civil engineering for the integrated towns of the future.

Theresa Holmes has been a member of NSS since 1980 (L-5 Society) and has started several chapters in Colorado, including the Air Force Academy Chapter.

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NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY

NSS is an independent nonprofit nonpartisan educational membership organization dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization. Our vision: People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and using the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.